South America Video

Hey all - check out the short video of our journey through South America. It's actually a little demo I put together in hopes of landing my dream gig. It also works great as a quick highlight video of our journey. Here is the link - copy and paste it into the address bar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkRgKBCzeYE

I'm currently working on 5 more videos of our time in each of the following countries as well and will post them upon completion: 1) Argentina 2) Brazil 3) Chile 4) Peru 5) Uruguay

Chau,

AA

Jen's SA farewell

I sit here in our hotel room at 6:45am on our last day in South America. I woke up this morning, eyes wide open and mind racing a million miles a minute, and I felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning. My whole body was filled with excitement, eagerness, joy, appreciation, and hope. It’s finally here, the end of our 8 month trip to a different continent. Tomorrow morning we wake up and fly home to the warm welcome of my family and Booker. The anticipation of our new lives when we return is overwhelming. We are looking forward to so many different things. We are also left to wonder how our time and experiences here will change us and will affect our lives. We have learned a lot and don’t want that knowledge to get buried by the weight of reality when we return to our normal lives. We want to expand on what we’ve learned and unveil it even more to expose equilibrium and harmony in our lives.

Looking back on our decision to make this dream a reality, I’m not sure that I really had an idea in my mind on how our time would be spent in South America. I say that because I am trying to decide if the trip was what I expected it to be. I guess in many ways it was what I had expected – I learned a new language, was exposed to many different cultures and peoples, I volunteered and experienced the joy of giving back, I learned a lot about myself and AA and our relationship, I traveled and was fortunate enough to visit some of the most amazing locations on earth, and I had a lot of fun. And on the other side of that, the last 8 months have been far from what I expected. I never expected to make good friends along the way, I couldn’t envision the day-to-day life of living on the road, I was unaware of the stresses associated with traveling, I never imagined traveling on bus could be so luxurious (although I hope not to set foot on another bus for a very long time), the speed at which the time passed was unexpected, yet at the same time there were never-ending days and weeks, and lastly I was challenged and blessed in more ways than I ever expected. It is refreshing that both of us are looking forward to, and excited about returning to Colorado and work. We imagined that at this point of the journey we would be begging to stay longer and dreading returning to work. However, we are both appreciative of the time we’ve had here, but we are also really excited about returning to work again, being productive members of society, and moving forward with our lives.

Here are some random memories that remind me of our journey:

- We returned to Buenos Aires to visit our friends Guido and Natalia. They were trusting, friendly, and welcoming and AA and I were sitting in their living room, around 11pm at night, just finishing watching a movie, when Natalia walks in the door. She left for work before 8am that morning, and was just now getting home from a very long day of work followed by hockey practice. We talked and caught up, she showered and then we waited for Guido to get home. He finally got home from work around 12:30am and then at 1am we all jumped in the car and headed to the hot dog stand for dinner, followed by ice cream. Those two work so hard! It was a normal day for them, but an eye-opening one for us.

- We were in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, which is in northern Chile, and our destination was somewhere in Peru, we didn’t even know where yet. We get on an overnight bus that will take us to Arica, the border town on the Chilean side. We snuggle in for the night, get comfy with our blanket and pillow, and then the bus makes a stop about 1 hour later. I won’t ever forget the “party bus” as we now call it. About 25 locals got on the bus and brought the party with them. They had their music blaring all night, they were drinking and smoking (neither are allowed) and I was quite surprised when I went to use the bathroom at 3am and three people walked out of the tiny little stall. I can only imagine….. Once we arrived to Arica (having received no sleep the night before), from there we had to get a car to drive us across the border into Tacna, the border town of Peru. That went relatively smoothly. In Tacna we were gobbled up by an agent who “helped” us find a bus to Arequipa, the next big town where we could catch a bus to anywhere in Peru. He told us promptly that the next bus left in 5 minutes, and if we didn’t make that one we’d have to wait several hours for the next bus, so we frantically rushed and got the tickets and ended up getting taken advantage of because we only had Chilean money and so they basically charged us double (and I’m sure buses leave there every hour). The feeling after being ripped off sucks! That bus ride was another long one, and so by the time we arrived in Arequipa we were spent. Not to mention be both were sick this whole time, struggling with adjusting to the altitude changes. But, we were not to our final destination. So there we found a bus going to Chivay. Apparently the trip would only take 3.5 hours, so we were excited and anxious to finally get to our destination. Well, that was another bus trip from hell. It involved traveling up the Andes Mountains in a bus that was incapable of doing so. It was like being on the little bus that could, it tried and tried and huffed and puffed, but unfortunately it broke down 4 times. Because we were near the tops of the Andes it was very cold outside (and dark, nighttime again). It actually started snowing near the top, so visions of us sleeping on the bus in the freezing cold filled my mind, becoming closer to a reality each time it broke down. After closer to six or seven hours the bus finally managed to make it to Chivay. We had been traveling on various buses and cars for over 24 hours, gotten very little sleep (or food), and on top of that still needed to find a place to stay for the night. This is just one of the many bus stories we have from our 8-months traveling via bus.

- It was fun to see the progression of our Spanish, measured through our understanding of the church sermon. Our first time going to church in Buenos Aires we understood three words: Dios (God), pan (bread), and Jesus. That’s it! Eventually we recognized more and more words, and the last time we went to church we were able to understand the general meaning of the sermon. Although we don’t understand everything, we can identify most of the words and usually at least get the main idea. Looking back from where we started we have come a long way!

- It has been confirmed on this trip that there’s not much that makes me happier than dogs, babies, and running! The simple joys of my life…..

- We arrive by bus to Maringa, Brazil in order to meet AA’s friend Gui’s family and stay with them for an unknown amount of time. The only problem is we spoke basically no Portuguese and we had no idea what they looked like. After wandering around for a short time we locate them. They seemed extremely nice and friendly, but the communication barrier made it extremely difficult for us. I knew how to say “hi” and “thank you”, so I repeated those two words way too many times. Valdir, Gui’s dad, spoke absolutely no English, so the two of us communicated very little. He stuck with AA because AA at least knew a few more words than me, and plus AA talks with his whole body and arms, so at least Valdir felt like he was making more progress with him. Luci, Gui’s mom, ended up brushing up on her English by the end of the week and by the end of the week we were able to communicate somewhat. I have some fond memories of joining her for ladies night at her “club” (as in country club, not party club). But this country club was made ALIVE with drinks and smokes and bunches of (older) women joined in a circle dancing to 80’s music. Good times!

- I remember feeling like a little 3-year old clinging to her daddy when we were at the Catolica vs. Cola Cola soccer game in Chile. The stadium was just insane with people everywhere, commotion, loud chants, rivalry, drums, banners, everything. I just clinged to AA for safety and followed him and Diego wherever I was led. I also remember at that game getting nailed in the head with a rock. The stadium is divided into two sections, making it impossible for the fans from the two sides to have physical contact with each other (obviously for safety reasons). Therefore, the bitter fans result to throwing rocks over the tall wire dividers in order to show their displeasure with the other team. Luckily I got side-swiped and not hit directly in the head. That could have been the end of me!

There are so many more memories, but those definitely leave a lasting impression of our time here. We have been blessed incredibly and feel so fortunate to have had this experience with each other. I’ll end with a few bible verses that have either been the inspiration for taking the trip or just insights picked up along the way.

- Exodus 23:10-11; “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave.” For those of you who haven’t heard the story on how we made the decision to take off this year, it had to do with this passage. We had made an offer on a house which ended up falling through. We learned of this on a Friday and immediately AA suggested taking our money and traveling instead. We began to pray about it and that Sunday we went to church and the sermon was about “Pressing Pause on Life and Filling up on God.” Our pastor quoted this passage and ironically we had both been working for 6 years, this would have been our seventh. This among other factors led us to believe it was God’s will for us to take a year to travel, grow, and fill up on Him.

- Dueteronomy 24:5; “If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.” I like to stress the part about bringing happiness to his wife :-)

- Ephesians 5:33; “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Seems so simple…..

- Philippians 2: 3-4; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”



I now wear my “shield of faith” every day and remember what’s most important to me: Faith, Family, and Friends. I’m reminded of the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control), the feather symbolizes my friends (long story), and the heart my family.

AA's SA farewell

Our time in South America is at its end… I vividly remember arriving in Buenos Aires to a lost bag and a Spanish vocabulary of less than a dozen words and later that day lying on the hide-a-bed of our first downtown apartment thinking to myself how we had 8 months and that I couldn’t wait for the time to evaporate to see what’s in store. Now I’m having thoughts (many of us find ourselves imagining from time to time) of wishing I could rewind the last 8 months. Jenny and I are flying back to Florida tomorrow where we have plans to explore the states until the end of July when we return home to Denver.

This experience has been wonderful in so many ways. It’s definitely hard to put into words what we’ve learned and how our perspectives have grown from living inside the States and the day to day to now living in South America for several months. By being immersed in this part of the world and only viewing and hearing little news and events from the States through a few forms of media as well as locals viewpoints – I feel many of the beliefs and assumptions I once had have now been altered somewhat due to the realities and life outside our borders. I was so unaware or hidden. This limited access to our culture, society, and customs has caused all I’ve known growing up and been exposed to in the professional world to slowly drift deep in the back of my mind. The duration of our stay has been long enough that it’s opened a window for these new cultures, customs, and lifestyles to penetrate and form a layer over my prior belief systems and way of life in the U.S. I now see happiness is much easier to attain than I once believed. Life can be simpler with less stress.

Some of the ways I feel my outlooks have changed somewhat are in the way I view food, eating out, shopping, cars, clothes, houses, careers, and many other things. One of the things I now realize is how much of a waste it is for me to have a really nice "cool" car – especially with the burdens it can potentially cause financially. After the time here and constantly seeing tiny, compact, little cars and trucks it makes you realize how much money could be saved for more important things and for me to use for travel again in a few years. When I first arrived I couldn’t believe everyone drove all these types of cars and trucks as for the most part I’d never seen any vehicles alike in the U.S. I basically thought they looked hilarious. Now I find myself wanting one and realizing how much easier it would be. After all, most of what a car is good for is getting you from point A to point B. The rest of the time it's just chillin' by itself somewhere anyway... That’s one of the reasons I mention the belief systems of our society and the influence it has on us growing up. It’s way too easy to just get lost in the hustle and bustle of everything and only pay attention to acquiring, building career, advancing, and then soon finding yourself on a road of pressure, strain, and constant worry.

It makes me almost sad in a sense to realize why people’s attitudes and thoughts (in several countries) are as they are about Americans and our society. I still get annoyed each time I hear someone from down here (or Europe) crack on the United States in general or about its decisions, views, and use of power. I admit that I can now see what they’re referring to sometimes. I suppose I just never wanted to agree or believe certain things about the U.S. and maybe subconsciously protected myself from letting anything negative stick in my head. I still love the U.S., desire to live there, and am proud to be an American, but just think we have areas in which we promote too many false assumptions and directions to our younger generations that lead to more stress and possible harm than needed.

I wish I could transfer all my experiences, conversations, and what I’ve learned telepathically to all I know so they could see what I’ve witnessed in the cultures, customs, food, transportation, poverty, people, happiness, and the awareness traveling creates in you. Then maybe the last few paragraphs would be a little clearer for some of you. Living in South America has definitely made me appreciate the things I have that I didn’t think were much before, such as the house we have that is plenty big and equipped with all we could need (before we left we nearly chose to close on a new and larger one), the vehicle I have (again, before leaving I nearly purchased a bran new truck with all the whistles - only because mine was older and I just wanted to have a “new” truck), and the heaps of clothes back home in my closet that I thought were crappy – just because they were a few years old I had the belief I needed new ones and began to desire the new looks.

Backpacking through these countries has also made me realize the many luxuries at our disposal that we so easily take for granted – even small things like: not having to pay for water in restaurants, or free refills on soda, coffee, and even water, actually having toilet paper in a public restroom and not having to pay for it or bring your own – also being able to flush it as opposed to throwing it in a waste basket next to the toilet. Actually having hot water for showers and sanitary conditions nearly everywhere we go inside our country.

A challenge that I foresee (and that I look forward to) will be coming back to the States and holding on to some of these viewpoints and discoveries as I begin to live and work in our culture and society again. I know some things have changed with the economy and philosophies since we’ve been gone – I just don’t want to fall back into all the false beliefs and assumptions I had and have grown up with before having this journey.

It's been neat to see the progression of how much we've changed in the way we travel and noticing the improvement and efficiency each time we pack up and head for the next leg of our journey. The stress level in the “moving on” has gone down immensely now that we have a good idea of how things work with transit (inner-city and long distance), places to stay on arrival, and the fact that our Spanish level is good enough to understand and say what we need.

I’m pretty sure I won’t even realize all the benefits this year of travel has brought us until several months have passed in being home. I do know it's been wonderful for my marriage with Jenny. We have discovered so many other things about each other that we had no idea about before – just further confirmation our relationship is true for the fact that even in the difficult times and stresses this journey has presented we’ve stuck together, learned to accept, compromised, and found solutions best for both. I feel some roles have come into play and been defined as well without consciously trying to figure them out. One of the things I’ve come to love about Jenny is the way she thinks, plans, organizes, and her practicality and logic in most situations. She’s wonderful! I often find myself looking at her as she sleeps and while traveling from place to place on over-night buses thinking how amazing, beautiful, and incredible she is and how happy I am that God introduced us.

Traveling together for this amount of time side by side, every day all day, without really anytime apart for privacy or individualism and mixed together with all the decisions to be made from where to go, what to eat, which way to turn, where to sleep, and who farted :) can be pretty overwhelming at times. Then adding to it the stresses of new areas and potential danger combined with the additional fact of recently being married last July has been the exam of my life in the most positive way.

We definitely do well together and have learned each others ways and how to work together. I do have to say my Mom said it best in a casual email to me, “This has been quite an experience for a newly married couple – all the adjustments and the learning curve of being newly married and getting used to each others’ personality, mannerisms, quirks, needs, etc. and then doing it 24/7 could have been quite a challenge to a “new” relationship. I sensed that the two of you could do it successfully.”

Thanks Mom! You definitely hit the nail on the head!

Thanks everyone for sticking with us and following along on this wonderful journey and most of all thank you God Almighty for your guidance, protection, and the numerous blessings you’ve provided.

Onward and upward…

- AA

Machu Picchu, April 27, 2010

Machu Picchu is definitely a must see and I would highly recommend putting it on your list of places to visit. It's absolutely incredible!


We woke up at 4:30am the morning after taking the train to Aguas Calientes (closest town to Machu Picchu) so that we could be one of the first ones up to the beautiful, historic, stone village. We heard that the first 400 people would be given a ticket allowing them to hike to the top of Waynapicchu (young peak) another skinny, tall, mountain that shoots straight up at the northern point of Machu Picchu (old peak) and gives a great view of the entire city.



We got a guide upon arrival at the entrance in order for him (Ernesto) to show us around and explain all the amazing ruins and knowledge of the Incan indians. Without a guide it would not have been the same as the knowledge and skill these people had was fascinating. Also - the city is almost like a maze and it would have taken us hours to find our way through.


As we walked into the site we were in the thick of the clouds and had very low visibility. Our guide began speaking to us and explaining a few things (as we couldn't see anything) when right before our eyes the clouds began to dissipate. Out of no where stone structures began emerging all around us as the city magically revealed itself within about 15 seconds. It looked as if a breath from the heavens gently blew the clouds away to unveil the beauty of the entire city in one shot for us, for the first time. It was unforgettable!





Throughout the tour we learned about the kings and royalties and saw their houses as well as the workers, astronomers, and watchmen. We saw all of their worship areas, sacrifice areas, sun dials, temples, watch houses, rock quarry, etc. Tons of cool ruins with so much thought and ingenious in the design and construction!

- For drinking water they had little canals carved and running all throughout the city -

- These two windows signified the beginning of Summer and Winter. When the sunlight would shine perfectly through the one on the left they knew it was the beginning of Summer and the one on the right was for the beginning of winter. -


- The detail of their stonework was remarkable and how the blocks would fit together. -

- In this enormous stone there are 39 angles cut into it in order for it to fit perfectly into their design. -


- Condors were very significant to the Incas and here is a temple of the condor. If you look you can see the two huge stones behind carved into wings and the flat stone on the ground was the body of the condor with the white ring around the neck that all the males have. Here they would make sacrifices. -

We did end up hiking to Waynapicchu and the view from the top made it well worth it! It was a little nerve racking climbing to the top as the stone stairs are very narrow and super steep with nothing to keep you from falling clear to the bottom.




All throughout the village and at the top of Waynapicchu there are hundreds of retaining walls they built and the greenest grass grows at the top of each. We saw llamas and one that was only two days old. We also walked to this bridge the Incas built which was quite impressive in itself. Overall, Machu Picchu is just amazing.





The logistics of getting to Machu Picchu were a little overwhelming (each way required 2 buses and a train to get from Cusco to the top), but once we figured it all out everything went smoothly.

"Valle del Colca" & Chivay, Peru

Yep - it's only a 2,000 meter drop from beneath our feet here at Colca Canyon - yes that's roughly a 6,000 ft drop and we're sitting on the edge. We don't have much to worry about though because we came to this point of the canyon from Chivay to watch the magnificent flight of the Condors and we're pretty sure with their monstrous size they'll catch us if we fall. Their wing-span is up to 8 ft wide and you have to be at this point of Colca Canyon by 8:00 am in order to see them take off for the day. They live at the bottom of the canyon where nothing can bother them or their young. By 8:30 in the morning they're airborne and do not return until after dark. It's the only chance of seeing them up close and witnessing their beauty and elegance in flight. I had no idea how beautiful it would be to see them as they circle up from the bottom of this gorgeous canyon (which, at it's deepest point, is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon). The scenery alone brings such a peace that you practically long to be one of them gliding through the air. The Condors truly become Kings of the sky and almost seem to enjoy us observing them as they glide over our heads and cruise within a stones throw away exhibiting a confidence and assurance unseen in other creatures of the sky.



















On the way up the canyon to the "Mirador" or "Cruz del Condor" there are a few small villages in which the culture and people are nothing like what we have seen in our 7 prior months of travels in South America. The villages after Chivay are: Yanque, Achoma, Maca and then the tiny village of Pinchollo. Most the people here work in the fields producing a variety of different crops from wheat, barley, potatoes, onions, alfalfa, and countless other vegetables. Others produce all different types of hand crafts necessary for the region.



















What amazes me most is that the men and women in their 60's and 70's still get up every morning by 5:00 and are on their way to the endless fields of crop and farm by manual labor all day using only hand tools, pics, and shovels. They use their donkeys and bulls to pull what we know as to be the old fashioned plows - I'm talking 50 to 100 years ago. Vehicles are scarce so most the crop is wrapped in blankets and tied around their backs where they haul it for miles back to the villages and markets of each day hoping to sell what was harvested.





All the fields are separated by perfectly built rock walls and to utilize as much land and good soil as possible terraces are built throughout the entire valley climbing as high as possible in which crop will grow. Each level cultivates a different product. From a distance they seem almost as gigantic steps or an enormous amphitheater filling the valley. Most the terraces in the monstrous valley are still in place from the Inca’s construction some 500 plus years ago. It's truly remarkable!













The best way to get to and from each village is by a "colectivo" or bus. You can take a little unique taxi as well, but they cost more. The difference in these "colectivos" from what we're use to everywhere else in S.A. is these are old, well used vehicles such as the one we rode in - a small, old, Volkswagon van. You pay 1 "Sole" (Sol-eh) and wait in the little van until at least seven people are in it. This way it's enough money to be worth the drivers time taking you to the next village. The funny thing though, is that there can basically never be too many people in the little "colectivo." All along the road in route the driver will stop and pick up more people flagging him down. In the picture below we had just started and there were about 10 people including the driver. I had no idea what was in store. By the time we got to the next village we had 17 people smashed into this little, tiny, Volkswagon van. Hilarious!





In Chivay, where we stayed, we loved how inexpensive everything was - especially since we've been on a budget for this whole journey. We ate in the market (nearly every night) at these little restaurant booths that are set up and broken down each night. Our total bill each time was 9 soles (including tip) which equates to less than 3 dollars. Unbelievable! The other fantastic thing for us is that we found a very nice "Hospedaje" to sleep. We had a double bed, hot water, soap, towels, and even cable television with 3 English channels for only $10 per night! Seriously???!!! Awesome! Our room was where the windows are on the 3rd floor overlooking the market and city.







For Jenny's birthday we went on a horse ride with just the two of us and our guide Wilber. He took us all through the valley and around the canyon for spectacular views yet again. One of the neatest parts of the horse tour was when he took us to the ruins of Yanque - the original village some 800 years ago. It was so nuts to be walking through this village and learning how they survived close to 1,000 years ago. Many of the village's tombs have crumbled open as well due to earthquakes in which you can see the bones of entire families.













Chivay and the "Valle del Colca" is probably one of the neater places I've been. Viewing first hand the beauty and tranquility of this culture and landscape while witnessing how much different their way of life is compared to what we know was something I will never forget and will always cherish.